Time of the Year

Oh, how I love this time of the year.  My kids, especially Benjamin are walking around with big smiles on their beautiful faces anticipating what is coming.  Here are some pictures of Christmases from the past 5 years. 

 2005

 2005

 2006

 2007

 2008

 2008

 2009

2009

Have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.  

Night and Day

Night and Day: Benjamin and Sarah.  Geoff decided on Sunday afternoon that he was going to ask Sarah if she wanted to wear underwear.  To my surprise, she said yes and hasn't turned back since.  It took Benjamin weeks to finally go poopie in the potty.  It took Sarah 4 hours.  Benjamin put more pee on our kitchen floor than on the potty.  Sarah has had only a few accidents, and has done a great job potty training. 

There is never a perfect time to start potty training, but I was waiting until around Thanksgiving when we had a few extra days of not having to be anywhere.  Sarah had to be at preschool on Monday and at LAMBS on Tuesday, so we were thinkin, "Uh-oh."  She did have a little accident on Monday at school and a few at home, but that's been it.  She didn't go to LAMBS on Tuesday because I had a migraine headache--I ended up having a bad case of strep and couldn't help her a lot with her potty training, so she has done great with everyone else helping her.  I am very excited about no more diapers!!  Anyone need size 6 diapers? 




Hillridge Farms

My mom and I took the kids to Hillridge Farms on Wednesday.  It was packed with school kids, but we had a great time.  Enjoy the pictures.


Sarah on the train

Playing in the corn

Sarah and Nana on the big slide





More playing in the corn

Loves his oreos

Sarah usually just eats the middle of the oreos



I loved to watch Benjamin figure out the maze



Bouncy House

Hayride

Picking out our pumpkins

Nana and Benjamin in the bus

All of us on the train



My Little Train Man

For those of you who know Benjamin, you know that he loves, loves, loves his trains. I took him to the train table at Barnes and Noble a couple of months before he turned 2 and he has been hooked (or obsessed) ever since. Shortly after that, my parents took him to ToysRUS and bought him a Thomas starter set with some track and a Thomas, Percy and a box car. He was so excited and carried those trains around everywhere he went.

 

Can you see the excitement in his face?

He plays with his trains even more than he ever has.  When we ask him what he wants to be when he grows up, he says a "train driver."  He loves to plan train crashes and likes to re-enact them for us when he has a successful one.  He keeps begging me to record him doing a big crash and put it on YouTube.  

This is one of his crashes from today. He was very proud of it.

Kara is 19!!

My niece, Kara, turned 19 yesterday and we went to have dinner with her at a Japanese steakhouse in Rocky Mount.  It was so nice to be able to celebrate with her.  Benjamin and Sarah were fascinated with the the food being cooked right in front of them.  The cook was hilarious and and kept us laughing the whole time. 

Cake that my mom made for Kara (yes, my mom is talented)

Kara and her cake

Kara and her dad

Kara and her mom (my sister)

Benjamin practiced on the dry erase board for Kara's B-day Card

Cousin Henry Comes To Visit

(and Aunt Katie, Uncle Brice, Grandmom and Granddad)

Here are some pictures from their visit:

Day Out With Thomas 2010

 We went on our annual Day Out With Thomas trip this past Friday.  We went the first time when Benjamin was almost 2 and have gone every year since.  I have been surprised that Benjamin continues to love it so much every year.  He is already talking about going next year when Thomas comes to Tweetsie Railroad.




Day Out With Thomas 2007



Off To The Dentist

It was time for the kids' six-month dental checkups this past week.  This was the first time for Sarah and third time for Benjamin.  Just as we had prepared Benjamin for his first time, we prepared Sarah by reading the Dora dentist book, discussing the details on each page, and explaining everything that was going to happen.  Sarah was so excited every time we read the book, and I was hoping that we actually might have an easy trip to the dentist this time.  I was halfway right. 

The dental hygienist (Miss Kelly) came to get Benjamin in the waiting room.  We decided to let Sarah go first because she was so excited and Benjamin was being grumpy about being there.  I stayed back with Benjamin and finished filling out Sarah's new paperwork.  Sarah walked right back and hopped right into the dental chair and played with a toy while Miss Kelly and Geoff talked.  When Geoff and Miss Kelly were done talking, she laid Sarah back in the chair to clean her teeth.  She was a perfect little angel.  She opened her mouth wide, she sat still and did everything she was told.  It was fabulous. 

Then, it was Benjamin's turn.  I could just stop right there and we could pretend that he was a perfect little angel like Sarah.  But, all of you who know Benjamin would know that just isn't true.  He wouldn't still in the chair, screamed his head off and told the dentist to "Stop it!" and "Get off of me!".  He acted worse than he did the first two times he went put together.  Should the two year-old be the one showing the almost-five year-old how to be a "big boy"?  Good times!!

Like to Play Soccer

I signed both kids up for soccer this year at a place in Morrisville called Lil Kickers.  It is an indoor instructional soccer program for little kids 18 months and up.  Sarah's group requires parents to participate and Benjamin's group encourages parents to not be on the field with their child.  Sarah loved it from the minute she walked in the building.  Benjamin wanted Geoff to hold his hand the whole time and wouldn't really participate.  Sarah's group does all sorts of games that are always adorable to watch. It is amazing how well these young kids listen to the coach and how well they can kick a soccer ball.